1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information access system and peripherals thereof, and particularly to an information-inputting system and an information service system.
2. Description of the Related Arts
An information access system utilized for information delivery service or such include personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”), Internet Appliance (hereinafter referred to as “IA”), and personal digital assistant (hereinafter referred to as “PDA”) in a form of an electric diary for referring information stored on Internet and peripherals thereof to be connected thereto, particularly a code-information inputting device, which utilizes an image sensor.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-171758 discloses one example of a system utilizing an information delivery service. Here, concerning the main constituent of the information delivery service, a number is insured corresponding to the information provided from Internet and the like to centralize the correspondence of the number and the information. The number used therein is hereinafter referred to as “linked information”. The linked information is printed in the form of a bar code or the like on an advertisement or an article placed on a magazine etc. The printed linked information is hereinafter referred to as “linked symbol”.
A user acquires a bar code reader and an information access program from the main constituent of the information delivery system to install them into the user's PC. In many cases, the bar code reader and the information access program are distributed to the user freely or at a low price. A device for accessing some kinds of information as described above, including a bar code reader, is hereinafter referred to as an “information access device”.
First, the user acquires a link symbol embedded into an interested advertisement or article and then scan it by a bar code reader having been installed into the user's PC.
The information access program having been installed into the PC sends the link information obtainable from the linked symbol, which has been scanned, (in this case, the number assigned to the information on Internet), via a network connected to PC, to a link relay server possessed by the main constituent of the information delivery service.
The link relay server identifies the information on Internet, which will be accessed by the user, and relays the information to be delivered to the user's PC.
As described above, by making it easy to access from a printed medium such as a magazine, the associated information on Internet, an additional worth of the printed medium is enhanced, and an access number of the information on Internet can be expected to be increased.
It is also possible to collect a commission from a source of providing information (for instance, an advertiser company, which is put in the magazine). Alternatively or in addition, by enhancing an additional worth of the printed medium, the main constituent of the information delivery service can expect to increase profit obtainable therefrom such as profit through the advertisement and a fee for reading magazine.
As described above, the usage, which concerns the profit of the main constituent of the information delivery service, (e.g., in the case of the prior art, to scan linked symbol through the information access device to thereby access a kind of information), will be hereinafter referred to as (the supposed usage or intended usage”).
The bar code reader and the program for information access device provided from the main constituent of the information delivery service are configured so that they can be utilized only for the intended usage, i.e., the usage where the linked symbol having been printed is scanned. For example, the bar code attached for the purpose of managing goods is configured no to be read.
In the techniques associated with the prior arts described above, the information access device acquired by the user from the main constituent of the information delivery service and peripherals therefor including the bar code reader can only be used for the intended usage, i.e., the usage which gets profit by the main constituent of the information delivery service (in this case, reading of information through scanning the linked symbol having been printed). It can be said this disables the functions inherently possessed by the bar code reader such as a function for reading a bar code for managing goods.
Such a restriction weakens motivation for always connecting the bar code reader to PC, which then makes it difficult to increase the operation rate of the bar code reader, i.e., which makes it difficult to increase scanning frequency of the linked symbol.
If the bar code reader is used for usage other than the intended usage, i.e., if it is used for the usage where bar code other than the linked symbol is scanned, there is a possibility that the user will solely utilize the bar code reader only for the later usage. In the present specification, the usage other than the intended usage is referred to as “unintended usage”.
If the user only uses the bar code reader for any usage other than the intended usage, i.e., if the user does not scan the linked symbol, the main constituent of the information delivery service earns any profit only with difficulty. In such a situation, the main constituent of the information delivery service cannot recover the cost required for delivery access device, in this case, the bar code reader and the program for accessing information. For this reason, the bar code reader in which the main constituent of the information delivery service distributes to a user is configured so that it cannot be diverted to unintended usage.
In the case of the information access device, which only can be used in the intended usage, there is a possibility to motivate a third party to distribute a program, which allows the information access device to be used for other purpose. For example, there is a possibility that someone prepares and distributes a program in which a bar code for managing goods can be scanned to display the results of scanning. If someone distributes such a kind of program, the user will only use the information access device for unintended usage, which will result in the situation where it is difficult for the main constituent of the information delivery service to recover the cost required for distributing the information access device.
In the prior art described above, the information access device is to use the bar code reader. However, a system can be considered in which a linked symbol is read, e.g., through a camera capable of being connected to PC.
In this case, if the usages as a camera such as taking an image for attaching an electric mail or inputting picture for television congress are inhibited, the inherently possessed by the device will greatly lost. In such a situation, the motivation for always connecting the camera to PC is weaken, and the possibility that the program for diverting the device to unintended usage will be distributed by someone will be much more increased. Hereinafter the bar code reader, camera and the like will be collectively called an “image-inputting device” or “information inputting device”.
In light of the problems associated with the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide an information access device, which can be used for usage other than the intended usage in order to increase the rate of the operation of the information access device for information delivery service, and which can motivate the user to use the device for the intended usage, and to provide an information delivery system using the same.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new business of the main constituent of the information delivery service using the information access device.